Kyle Alexander Jepson admitted in court Friday that he broke into a Des Moines woman's home with sexual motivations and strangled her to death earlier this year.

As part of a plea agreement, Jepson, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the January death of Gloria Gary, 49.

Jepson also pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in relation to a Dec. 29, 2016, break-in at another Des Moines woman's home.

Jepson admitted in court that both of these crimes were sexually motivated. This means he will be required to register as a sex offender in Iowa as a result of being convicted of these crimes.

Jepson was sentenced Friday to 50 years in prison for the murder charge and 10 years for the burglary charge, to be served consecutively. He will serve a mandatory minimum of 35 years in prison before he can be considered for parole.

Scott Ellis, Gary's brother-in-law, read several comments from Gary's family members, friends and co-workers, describing her as a kind, quiet, intelligent woman who was loving and loyal to the people she cared about. Gary adored music and was talented at her job as a database professional, he said.

Gary's death has had a tragic lasting effect on her family, Ellis said. Gary's father did not attend the court hearing because he didn't want to be in the same room as Jepson, Ellis said.

Police believe a body they found is that of Des Moines woman Gloria Gary, reported missing earlier this month.(Photo: Special to The Register)

Taylor said that she and her children have moved out of state, partly because they remained scared in their Des Moines home after learning about Gary's death days after Jepson broke into their house.

"This grief will always be with us," Ellis said. "How dare someone take the life of someone so innocent?"

After hearing these statements, Judge Robert Blink gave Jepson the chance to speak.

"Though it may seem that a lot of that may have happened in cold blood, the truth is I've been dealing with some schizophrenic or some spiritual demons that take control of myself," Jepson said. As he continued, he started crying and, after a few moments, told the judge that he was done speaking.

Earlier in the court hearing, Jepson told Blink that he has been receiving mental health care while incarcerated in the Polk County Jail.

Jepson was originally charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary in relation to breaking into Gary's home, where she lived alone, and killing her. He was charged with second-degree burglary in relation to breaking into Taylor's home.

The robbery and first-degree burglary charges were dismissed Friday as part of the plea deal.

After killing Gary, Jepson stole some money and her car and fled west. He was arrested Jan. 12 in Tooele County, Utah, with a car that belonged to Gary.

Gary, who had been considered a missing person since Jan. 3, was found dead in her home hours after the arrest. Though family members had been in the home since Gary went missing, police said her body was well hidden by Jepson.

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Police offer details regarding the arrest of one man in the murder of Des Moines woman Gloria Gary.

Jepson broke into Taylor's home Dec. 29, five days before killing Gary. A police report shows Taylor returned home to find Jepson wearing her bra and underwear, as well as a woman's wig. Taylor recognized Jepson as her neighbor's son.

Authorities said Jepson had no prior connection to Gary before killing her.

After the court hearing Friday, Ellis, Gary's brother-in-law, said the family feels relieved to put the court proceedings behind them.

"I think the family is pleased with the outcome," he said. "This isn't something that anybody ever expects to have to go through. We're glad that it's over."

Ellis also thanked Des Moines police and the Polk County Attorney's Office for their work on the case.

Prosecutor Jeff Noble, with the county attorney's office, described the plea agreement as "intricately balanced," largely hinging on Jepson admitting that the crimes were sexually motivated. That element, which is unusual for murder and burglary charges, enhanced some of the penalties for those charges.

As part of his required lifetime registration as a sex offender, Jepson may be subject to civil commitment when his prison sentence ends, Noble said.

"Without the provision that he would be looked at for civil commitment, I don't know if we would have reached this agreement. If it had just been do a 35-year mandatory minimum (in prison) and if he's likely to be paroled after 35 years, we probably would not have reached that," Noble said. "The fact that these were sexually motivated offenses was an important part of this plea agreement for us."